Want to live your best possible life? Do things that scare you! Not scared like watching a horror movie in a cabin by yourself in the middle of the woods at night scared, but scared like doing something you want to do even though it terrifies you.
Are you afraid of heights? Singing in front of a crowd? Training for a marathon? That feeling of fear is exactly why you should do those things! You can’t make yourself not feel fear, but you can work up the courage to do what scares you and discover amazing new things. Our favorite example? You guessed it, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes! Of course, we recognize skydiving anxiety is real … so here’s a little motivation to get you out the door and into the big blue sky!
Fear is Necessary
Some don’t like the feeling of being scared, and others love it! There’s no greater jolt than one fueled by adrenaline!
Adrenaline makes your heart race, causes shallow breathing, and raises your blood pressure; it primes you to fight for your life, run for it, or even freeze in place. Fear is a natural response to a present danger, meant to protect us and help us survive. Evolutionarily speaking, it’s a good thing! And while it can prevent us from dangerous things, most of the time the supposed “danger” isn’t a real threat. And when you avoid activities that aren’t legit jeopardizing your life, it can keep you from doing things that make you grow.
Is Fear Holding You Back?
If you’re feeling fear and not experiencing a life or death moment, then fear is probably holding you back. It can stop you from speaking in front of a large audience … or from giving a speech at all. Mustering up the courage to push past that which makes you uncomfortable or fearful allows you to learn what’s on the other side of, “what if”! It’s a mega-dose of empowerment that can serve you well into the future – because if you can nix big jitters once, chances are you can do it again.
Leave Your Comfort Zone
Fear is often tied to the anticipation of doing a thing … and when you do it, you feel free! Once you break loose from your mental restraints and leave your comfort zone, there is endless growth and experiences to be had. You feel like you can do anything!
Are you going to pass out and die from performing a comedy routine on a stage? Probably not. Would you be proud of yourself for accomplishing something that was scary to you? Most definitely! Intentionally leaving your comfort zone helps you to grow as a human being, which feels straight-up liberating and extremely rewarding. Only by working to overcome our irrational fears can we live our lives to the fullest!
Skydiving Fear
Many – maybe most – people have skydiving anxiety. Maybe it’s the height, or because it’s a novel activity … or perhaps you were OK until you saw other people freaking out and so your brain invited you to do the same!
Deep breath! Let’s look at skydiving rationally.
According to the United States Parachute Association (USPA), the sport of skydiving has never been safer than it is today. They’ve been tracking skydiving safety stats since 1961 and, thanks to advancements in skydiving technology and sophisticated training tactics, the risk of dying from skydiving is extremely low. Is it still risky, of course it is; but it’s mitigated. Important to note, too, is that most skydiving deaths result from user error – usually hyper-experienced folks pushing their limits – and not from gear malfunction.
Consider this grim but important list:
- 1 in 107 people die in a car crash
- 1 in 2,535 die from choking
- 1 in 57,825 die from an insect sting
- 1 in 161,856 die by lightning strike
- 1 in 357,000 die skydiving solo
- 1 in 500,000 die tandem skydiving
Zooming out and logically looking at the numbers can be comforting. Another way to soothe your nerves is to call or visit your dropzone to get a sense of the vibe and ask questions. And then, if it feels right to you, take the leap!!
